July 2, 1898.]
Of ministers' insane mistakes, this bears The palm-that they should trust a rival. Unanziona for ourselves, we only wish As duteous sons, our rulers were more wise. In London, men suspect that they are fools, Know it at Peking, and reform their plan, At Shanghai, chide their infamous delay, As pushing prudent purpose to resolva, They pause and resolve-to act the same. -Mercury.
KIUKIANG.
We hear from Kinkiang that Mr. Grimani is busy getting ready to take over the collection of the likin. It is uncertain when he will take charge of it. The natives say the foreign ers will not be able to arrange for the taking
over.
A company of British merchants has been formed at Kiukiang to run a liue of steamers from Kiukiang down the Poyang Lake. Their signboard has been put up at Messrs. Alex. Campbell & Co.'s, but it has not been stated when the steamers will begin to run.
There are now about 150 foreigners at Kuling. There is a steady stream of persons going up every day. The up and down steamers come in full and go away empty.
The roads to Kaling are being improved rapidly, the large boulders having been blasted, or at any rate most of them, and the uneven places filled in.-N. C. Daily News.
TALIEN WAN,
The following interesting notes are from a private letter just received in Shanghai :-
"This port (Talienwan) will not be opened to foreigners for three years. The harbour is to be dredged to the depth of 16 feet and is to cost £1,600,000 sterling. There is to be a breakwater to the harbour, and landing stages which will cost £1,400,000. On the north part of the harbour the stages will be for the use of Chinese, and the south for foreigners only, All lands about Talienwan and Port Arthur are being bought up by Russia, value as per title-deeds, and sale is made compulsory. "Russo-Chinese Railway-From what I can find out the Chinese will build a line from Tientsin on to Talienwan, and also branch off to Moukden and Kirin from Newchwang. This line is, I believe, wholly in the hands of the Russians, and it is they who supply all the money."-N. C. Daily News.
TIENISIN,
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Tientsin, 18th June. Some months ago a report was common in northern official circles that the Empress Dowager meant to assert herself once more in politics as soon as Prince Kung's death removed the one obstacle to her intrusion. The Prince has been dead three weeks, and, sure enough, we now have the biggest shuffle of the official cards that has been seen since the war. The Imperial Tutor Weng Tung-ho is dismissed with reprobation from all his offices. Wang Wen-she, the amiable Viceroy of Chilli, is called up to the Capital to take a seat at the Tsungli Yamen, and is to be succeeded here by the Manchu Jung Lu, a shrewd but not very able bureaucrat credited with a bias to- wards foreign innovation.
ever,
The most significant change of all is, how
not gazetted, viz., the reascendancy of Li Hung-chaug. It is universally believed up here that by the Dowager's influence and active support Li will be practically sole Minister for Foreign Affairs. The other members of the Tsangli Yamen are afraid of responsibility, and the changes now being made in its constitution certainly favour the hypothesis that Li is de- liberately filling it with weaklings, so that he may have things completely his own way. If so, the outlook is indeed serious, for Li's marked Russo- phil tendencies portend difficulties to the British officials. There is much reason to suspect that the old Tsung-tang is actually suffering from acute Anglophobia. The Tientsin Kwo Wen Pao two days ago published an account of a fierce passage-at-arms at the Yamen between Li and Sir Claude over the cession of Mirs
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
it may be most fascinating and of con siderable public interest. In this case, however, as the fat is already in the fire, there is no need for reticence. Indeed there is urgent need of supplemental accounts of the altercation, as that already given accentuates only one phase of the quarrel. Li, with his usual brusque and very objectionable frankuess to call it a polite name-took upon himself before his colleagues to read Sir Claude a lecture on the latter's personal address. He told the minister that his function was to lessen difficul- ties and not to create them, that his manner was calculated to defeat his purposes, and that to take the only possible measures left to unless he changed it the Chinese would have protect themselves (implying, no doubt, they would demand his recall). Li probably thought this protest necessary to lessen the emphasis with which Sir Claude insisted on the Kowloon entension demands. It was accompanied by an aggressive manner and, on dit, considerable table thumping. The native paper stops here, but rumour, more or less reliable, has it that Sir Oliver: ho asked him how he dared thus to Claude gave Lí more than a Roland for his
address the Minister of a friendly state-be, ja man who had abused his power and had betrayed to talk like this to his country into the hands of its deadliest enemy, an honourable man; and then the contention waxed furious, to the actual terror of others present.
Bay. A responsible journalist will often heait ate to publish backstairs intelligence, though
As a commentary on this let me add that it is all derived from native sources, and is pro- bably garbled and exaggerated. There, however, ik no doubt that things are now different at the Yamen vis-a-vis Great Britain. A month ago Sir Claude had no difficulty with the Board and there was a marked, tendency to follow the British lead; at present there is great racilld tion and the Board will not run straight or keep its own mind for two days together.
The storm of the 9th and 10th instant des troyed the Chinese cruiser Fuching at Port Arthur. The vessel in a fog ran in as close as soundings would allow. The gale rose very quickly, dispersing the fog. ho Cap. tain, instead of putting to sea, resolved to ride it out, seeing himself quite close in to Port Arthur; but his two chain cable parted under the strain, and he was on the reef before he could get way on the ship. The Russians promptly rendered what help they could, but either panic or incompetency prevented those on board making use of the lines thrown over the ship. The first lieutenant and three sailors were saved; the captain and oue hundred and forty-five others were drowned, The vessel belonged to the Nan Yang Squadron and was only recently leut to the Pei Yang. Such are the bare outlines which have reached the Naval Secretariat in Tientsin.
At the same moment Taku Bar was witness ing a minor but even more appalling tragely. A big junk laden with spirit caught fire in the midst of the storm: twenty eight sonls were first half roasted to death and then in frenzy jumped overboard and perished to a man. So high a sea was running that help was impossible.
The Paiho improvement scheme seems at last about to be realized. The loan difficulty has been met by the Hongkong and Shang, Bank advancing the money to the British Municipality. The latter will administer · and will redeem the loan from the revenue collected by the Commissioners on landing fees. The enterprize of the British Municipal Council in the matter is greatly to be conimended as an excellent way out of an impasse which threatened to wreck the labour of two years. Their appearance in the matter is completely justified by the enormous issues at stake if the river is not quickly taken iu haud. The fair way has once more shallowed to six feet and the whole trade of the port is again being carried with fearful loss and expense by small lighters and native boats. Only a few tow boats can now negociate the stream.
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panic among the provincial officials as usual- they all fear the usual loss of office which attends a change of Governorship.
Peitaiho is going stronger than ever this year, and is finding favour among the diplomatists of Peking. The Russian, Ger- man, and Dutch representatives have all taken houses there and Sir Claude and Lady Mac Donald have had a few days' seclusion and fresh air in the house of Mr. Bax Ironside. Everybody is delighted with the health giving properties of the place. Tientsin is rapidly being emptied of its lady and juvenile population. July and August will see some 300 foreigners at the sea side.
CANTON NOTES.
<
[FROM THE CHUNG NGOI BAN PO.” An Imperial edict was issued on the 23rd June appointing Wang Wen-Shao to be a member of the Grand Council, President of the Board of Revenue, and member of the Tsung-li yamen; Sun Kä-li President of the Board of
Secretary; Jung Lu to be Viceroy of Chihli; Civil Appointments, to be an Assistant Grand
In Mow to be Tartar General of Kirin. Auother Imperial decree of the same datë directs that the subjects of the examinations for Shou Tsoi, Kü Yau, and Tsan-Sz, the first, second, and third degrees, be changed in future from Man Chang, that is, compositions on the sentences selected from the four classics, into the form of Chak Nun, that is, nearly the same as that of English composition..
Heavy rain has fallen in torrents during the last few days in the district of Yingtak on the North River. The water in the streets was knes-deep and over thirty houses were washed away. Luckily the inhabitants, being aware of the danger, all escaped before the incident, so that no life was lost."
A case of robbery has occurred at the likin station at a place named Luklau. The robbers came in junks, which were suspected by the offl- cers of the station to be engaged in smuggling, The officers at once boarded the junks, but the robbers took the opportunity of seizing them as hostages and marobed into the station. They did not retire till they had discovered all the valuables therein.
Some days ago it was reported that a rebellion had broken out at Ah-Chow, near Kinchow, the cause of which was that a petty military officer had attempted to force the inhabitants to make him presents for the celebration of his birthday, which took place, some two months ago. As the inhabitants did not yield to his greedy de- sire, the officer got very angry and dragged a young lady of a rich family into his yamen and cruelly tortured her. The inhabitants, seeing that the officer acted in such an outrageous way, at once raised the rebel standard. The Toatai, hearing of the case, immediately went to the scene, but the place could only be made quiet by the arrest of the petty officer, who was after- wards executed by the order of the Viceroy at the place where he committed the crime.
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HONGKONG.
The surveying ship Waterwitch left on 28th June for Weihaiwei.
There were 1,306 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week, of whom 132 were Europeans, For assuming the name and designation of a constable a Chinaman was at the Magistracy on Thursday fined $50.
Tuesday being Coronation Day the men-of- war in barbour were decorated and a salute was fired at noon.
There were four cases of plagre on 26th June and four deaths. There were also four cases and four deaths on 27th,
It is notified in the Gazette that the Queen's exequatur has been issued empowering Dr. F. C. Rieloff to act as Consul for Germany at Hongkong.
We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. Hugh McCallum, late Secretary of the Sanitary Board, which took place at the Gov- érnment Civil Hospital at ten minutes past ten on Thursday night..
Viceroy Wang's removal is greatly regretted. He has not been a strong man, and I fear that corruption and scallywaggery have not lessened during his tenure of office; but on the other hand he has been extremely kind, affable, and straightforward to foreigners, The Foochow Echo of the 88th June says – with whom he has got on most admirably. Our We hear that the Chinese Banks are now land- new man, Jung has been down bere more 10,000 bags rice,
Ah Hing 2,000 than once un Lot, years to investigate rings, imported from the south for salo regularities in administration. There is a poor at cost price.
the